Endless chain cutting machine for use in mining coal and other minerals



Ffib. 6, 19 5A). o LEWIS 2,189,669

ENDLESS CHAIN CUTTING MACHINE FOR USE IN MINING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS Filed March '7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1940- 0. F. LEWIS 2,189,669

ENDLESS CHAIN CUTTING MACHINE FOR USE IN MINING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS Filed March 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7'5 /4 611mm 60m @m M Patented Feb. 6, 1940 a ENDLESS CHAIN USE IN MINERALS 1 Application March 7,

In Great Britai I" r 3 Claims.

This invention relates to coal cutting and like machines of the kind in which an endless cutter chain is guided within a channel around the edge of a jib.

5 Hitherto, in the caseof such chain coal cutters,

it has been customary to form the top and bottom plates of the jib with guide members which, in conjunction with the jib frame, retain the tool boxes or pick boxes in place in the jib. The

dimensions of the boxes are necessarily restricted by this method of retaining the chain in the jib and the object of the present invention is to ment to be used.

According to the present invention, the chain is retained within the channel around the edge of the jib by a retaining member projecting 1 the retainer prererably consists of a T-sectioned guide bolted to the jib frame so that the inwardly projecting shoulders at the bottom of each saddle can slide under the crossbar of the T.

in a modification of this arrangement, the retaining means consist of projections on the side faces of the saddles. that is those faces which are in sliding contact with the jib plates, and the jib plates are grooved to receive the projections which slide within the grooves as the chain moves along in the channel formed between the jib side plates.

With either of these retaining arrangements the saddles can be of full width between the jib plates throughout the distance from the bot- 0 tom of a saddle to the pick block to which it is attached and there is consequently a maximum space inside each saddle between the side Walls thereof.

The links connecting endless chain can therefore be made wider than w by the chain sprocket teeth engaging within the CUTTING MACHINE FOR MINING COAL OTHER 1938, Serial No. 194,454 In March 12, 1937 (Cl. 262--33) I 5 pick boxes between the connecting links. The links are preferably of arcuate shape conforming withthe peripheral curvature of the driving sprocket and of the idler chain sprocket or radius uide which is sometimes fitted in place of the ii idler sprocket.

Another feature of the invention consists in providingthe chain with dual bases: a straight base for the straight runs of the chain along the lib, and a curved base to fit on the sprocket or 10,

at thejib end, as in some other kinds of cutter chains there may be provided three pick sockets in some pick blocks so that cutters or picks can I be positioned to project straight out from the '15 centre of a pick box and inclined towards'both sides so as to overcome unbalanced side pick loads. v

A construction of cutter chain incorporating the various features ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a cutter chain,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, also showing parts in section, along line II-II of Fig. 1. 25

Fig. 3 is a part sectional view showing the chain running round a sprocket.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional View showing a pick box'guided and retained on the jib and with the picks in position, (30

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 2.

Fig. dis sectional View corresponding to Fig.

4 but showing a modification.

The chain is built up in the usual manner from a plurality of pick boxes joined by links and $35 each pick box consists of a pick-carrying block I welded or otherwise secured to a hollow saddle drilled therein and broached to a suitable shape (40' for the reception of the picks or cutters which are shown in place on Figs. 4 and 6, and are injointed together to form an endless chain by links 8 which are coupled to the saddles by pivot pins 9 secured in the saddles by spreading their ends as indicated at it in Fig. l and each pivot pin .is preferably surrounded by a sleeve orwear- I The saddles 2 are so made the maximum size ing liner II. The length of the links 8 and the positions of the pins 9 are such that the ends of the saddles abut together and thus contribute to the transverse rigidity of the cutter chain and the ends of the saddles are rounded off as indicated at 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) on a curve struck from the centre line of the pins l3 so that the saddles are kept abutting as the chain goes round the driving sprocket l3 (or round an idler or the curved guide at the other end of the jib) as will be clear from Fig. 3.

The bottom edges of the side wings 3 of the saddles are made flat and bear on the bottom plate i l of the jib guide (Fig. l) during the straight runs of the chain, while the saddles are guided in the channel formed by the projecting edges of the jib side plates l5, and by the bottom plate i l as shown in Fig. 4.

The saddles are retained by either of the means illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. In one arrangement (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) the bottom edges of the side wings 3 of the saddles have inwardly projecting shoulders 16 and the bottom plate E4 of the jib guide has a T-sectional retaining member ll bolted to it by means of the countersunkheaded bolt Hi. The shoulders l6 projecting inwardly from the saddles slide under the outwardly projecting shoulders E9 of the member H. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, the outer faces of the saddles 3, that is the faces in sliding contact with the jib plate I5, are formed with or provided with projections 29 and the jib plates 15' are channelled as at 2| (Fig. 6) to enable the projections 20 to slide within them as the chain moves along on the jib. The projections 20 and channels 2! can be proportioned so that there is proper retention of the saddles or pick boxes without any undue weakening of the jib plates l5, and are located near the edges of the plates ill on which the blocks bear to avoid weakening the plates where the greatest bending moment occurs (i. e., adjacent the bottom plate 14) Neither of these alternative retaining means necessitates any reduction in the widths of the saddles and the latter can be available between the or IE so that there is consequently between the side for a sulfijib plates IS a maximum amount of space wings of the saddles after allowing cient thickness of the side wings.

Owing to the space available between the side wings 3 or 3' of each saddle the links 8 can be made wider than the teeth of the driving sprocket i3 and a further feature of the invention consists in forming the links 8 with sockets or holes 22 therein shaped to receive the teeth 23 of the driving sprocket 13 at one end of the jib and the teeth of the idler sprocket (if one is fitted at the other end of the jib). Thus the drive takes place through the links 3 of the cutter chain and not by the sprocket teeth 23 engaging with the pick boxes. The links 8 are of arcuate shape as shown and conform with the peripheral curvature of the driving sprocket at the roots of its teeth and of the idler chain sprocket or the radius guide which is sometimes fitted in place of the idler sprocket. As the sprocket teeth 23 do not enter the saddles of the pick boxes the side wings 3 of the saddles can be connected by a cross tie 25 which has its lower face 25 concave to fit closely to the body of the sprocket wheel l3 between the roots of the teeth and to the idler sprocket or curved guide used in place of it.

The standard form of jib in a chain coal cutter has at one end a driving sprocket and at the other end an idler sprocket or plain radius guide and between these ends the guide is straight and the chain should therefore have a straight base for the straight section of the jib and a radius base to fit on the sprocket or sprockets or to slide round the radius guide at the jib end. The chain described is provided with such a dual base consisting of the curved member 24 within each saddle of a pick box and the curved faces 25 at the bottom of the arcuate links, and a straight base 25 at the bottom of each saddle or pick box to engage the straight portions of the jib guide between the ends of the jib. The curved member or cross tie 24 prevents any pick from fouling the guide or sprocket.

The three sockets 4 in some of the pick blocks l are arranged so that the cutters or picks 5 are positioned to project straight out from the centre of a pick box and inclined towards both sides, and the use of two side picks avoids the unbalanced side pick loads when only one side pick is used and thus overcomes the twisting of the chain due to the unbalanced single side pick boxes.

The arrangement according to the invention has the advantages that larger and more robust pick boxes or cutter boxes can be used and the chain can be made stronger and more efficient and have better bearing surfaces, while by reason of the fact that the driving sprocket teeth engage in the connecting links and not within the boxes, the cutters or picks can be brought lower down within the boxes as they do not have to clear the tops of the sprocket teeth.

The invention also includes the individual pick boxes having saddles adapted to fit within a jib guide channel and provided either with internally directed shoulders to project under a retaining member within the jib guide channel or with relatively narrow outwardly projecting shoulders or ribs 20, located near the pick block, for fitting into corresponding grooves in the sides of the jib guide channel, and a cutter chain, for a coal cutting or like machine, built up from a plurality of such pick boxes joined together by links such as the links 8 above described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coal-cutting or like machine, a cutter chain comprising a plurality of pick boxes, saddles formed with spaced depending wings integral with said pick boxes, connecting links projecting at their ends between the spaced wings of the saddles and pivoted thereto, a substantially U-shaped guide channel for said chain, a retaining member at the bottom of said channel and projecting between the side wings of the saddles, shoulders projecting towards each other from the opposing faces of each pair of side wings, said shoulders engaging said retaining member, said shoulders forming a fiat base for each saddle, and a socket in each chain link midway between its ends and shaped to receive a driving sprocket toot 2. The structure of claim 1, and at least one transversely extending, concave lower surface portion connecting said wings of each saddle.

3. The structure of claim 1, retaining members extending outwardly from the sides of said wings, and cooperating grooves in the inner surfaces of the sides of said channel above the floor thereof receiving said last named retaining members.

OSWALD FLOYD LEWIS. 

